This invention relates to a cover for an open-topped container for food and/or drink, for example for use on an aircraft or in a cafeteria or fast-food restaurant, and also to a method of using the cover.
It is standard on an aircraft flight to serve food and/or drinks in a tray-like container for the food and drink. The food may be wrapped, eg. in paper, card, clingfilm, or plastics, or in cartons, or a plate or other item of crockery which can be of china, porcelain or the like or of plastics, paper or cardboard material. Similarly, the drink may be in a glass or plastics bottle, can or carton. In addition, the container may contain items for the passenger who is to consume the food or drink such as a glass, flatware (knife, fork, spoon), serviette, salt and pepper mill and other such items. Typically, the container is of moulded plastics material and may have internal compartments for subdividing the interior space into individual areas for containing respective items or groups of items, together with a rigid moulded lid or cover, typically transparent. When the passenger wants to eat his meal, he needs usually to take the lid off to gain access to the food and drink items. However, space is limited on the passenger fold-down table to place the lid. Furthermore, as the passenger eats the meal, waste material is produced such as wrappings, cartons, used serviettes, printed menus, drink cans or bottles, bottle tops, discarded food and the like, which need to be temporarily stored somewhere, preferably separate from the food and drink still to be consumed. With the conventional tray-like container described this can be a juggling act, making use of space vacated by the initial consumption of food and drink. Still further, these waste materials can be bulky and often extend to a greater height than that occupied by the carefully packaged and arranged items before the container was opened, especially because some of these items (e.g. a discarded serviette) have a large volume and also because the non-disposable items such as glasses plates and flatware also occupy a certain volume. Because of the greater height occupied by the waste material, it is often not possible to reposition the lid in the container to assist collection. Furthermore, waste items are often inadvertently dropped on the floor which can soil the interior furnishings of the aircraft and require manpower and effort to clear them up.
These and related problems can also arise in cafeterias, fast food restaurants and other similar situations.
According to the invention from another aspect, there is provided a cover for an open-topped container for food and/or drink, said cover being attached to, or having first adhesive means on the outside thereof for attachment to, said container and being in the form of, or having second adhesive means for converting the cover into, a receptacle arranged so that, when it has been removed from the open top of the container, it will be attached to, or be attachable to, the container and can hang down, as a receptacle, from one side of the container for receiving waste material.
According to the invention from another aspect, there is provided a cover for an open-topped container for food and/or drink, said cover being attached to, or having first adhesive means on the outside thereof for attachment to, said container and being in the form of, or having second adhesive means for converting the cover into, a receptacle arranged so that, when it has been removed from the open top of the container, it will be attached to, or be attachable to, the container and can hang down, as a receptacle, from one side of the container for receiving waste material.
Effectively, with such an arrangement, the cover of the container, which normally serves to keep the food covered and fresh, doubles up as a waste receptacle. Furthermore, after the container has been opened, the cover hangs in a position in which waste material can be readily and conveniently inserted without hindering the person""s ability to continue consuming his meal and drink.
Preferably, the cover is attached to the container in the region of one end thereof and is releasably attached, along its edges which are not attached to said one edge of the container, to the other edges of the container, such that the cover can be released from the container to provide access to food and/or drink therein while remaining attached in the region of said one edge of the container.
It is especially convenient if the releasable attachment of the cover to the container is provided by first adhesive bonding, said cover being attached to said container in the region of said one edge by second adhesive bonding of greater bonding strength than that of said first adhesive bonding. In this way, the weaker first adhesive bonding yields readily to the cover being pulled back from its end remote from said one end, while the stronger second adhesive bonding remains intact to maintain the attachment in the region of said one end to the container. The first and second adhesive bonding can each be provided by contact adhesive applied to corresponding surface areas of the cover and container. Then, the cover can be partially or completely peeled back from the container to allow the latter to be filled, and then resealed to help keep the contents fresh and free from contamination, ready to serve to customers.
Suitably, in one embodiment the cover is in the form of a flexible film and the first adhesive bonding is such as to permit the film to be peeled back from the container and folded transversely back on itself with contacting side edges of the film united by the first adhesive bonding, thereby forming said receptacle. This construction is especially easy and cheap to manufacture, although the depth of the receptacle is only about half the corresponding dimension of the unfolded cover.
In another embodiment, the cover is in the form of a receptacle having a closed end located remote from said one edge of the container, and is provided with means for enabling said closed end to be released from attachment to said container. In one arrangement, such means comprises a pull-string, attached at one end to the closed end of said receptacle, extending within the receptacle, and passing out through its open end such that on pulling the pull-string, the cover becomes progressively separated from the container. In this embodiment, the depth of the receptacle is substantially the same as the corresponding dimension of the unfolded cover.
In either embodiment, the closed end of the receptacle may incorporate a stiffening member, to facilitate separation of the cover from the receptacle without tearing or distorting the receptacle. The stiffening member may incorporate a lifting tab serving as the means for enabling said closed end to be released from attachment to said container for facilitating initial opening of the container. In the second embodiment, this may be provided in addition to or as an alternative to the pull-string.
In a third embodiment, the cover is in the form of a receptacle for placing over and around an open-topped container and having releasable attachment means adjacent the open mouth of the receptacle for attachment in the region of one edge of an open-topped container after it has been removed from the container. Such a cover is very cheap to make, though it does require the customer himself to attach the waste receptacle adjacent the one edge of the container. Conveniently, the releasable attachment means comprises an adhesive strip with a peel-off cover strip. The cover strip serves to protect the adhesive strip, until such time as it is required to attach the receptacle to the container.
In all three embodiments, the cover may be formed from a flexible film. Where, in the second embodiment, the cover is in the form of a receptacle, the film assumes the form of a flattened tube closed at one end. The flexible film can be transparent, so that the contents of the container can be seen while the cover is in place. Alternatively, it may be preferred that the flexible film be opaque, so that rubbish inside the receptacle will not be visible.
In a preferred arrangement, sealing means, such as an adhesive strip with a protective cover, are provided for sealing the receptacle after waste material has been inserted into it.